Two people have died after a tire exploded on a Delta plane while it was being changed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
A Delta employee and a contractor were killed at the scene, while a third person was seriously injured.
The incident took place at around 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning in the airport’s maintenance area.
Delta TechOps is responsible for the maintenance of all aircraft for the airline. Atlanta is the global headquarters and serves more than 200 routes worldwide.
The plane arrived in Atlanta from Las Vegas at approximately 9 p.m. Sunday evening, WSB-TV reported.
The incident occurred just months after a Delta plane lost its nose gear while attempting to take off from the same airport.
Two people have died after a tire exploded on a Delta plane while being changed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Delta Air Lines said in a statement: “The Delta family is heartbroken by the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Technical Operations Maintenance facility in Atlanta.
‘We express our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.
“The Delta family is grateful for the quick response of the emergency services and medical teams on site.”
Flights to and from the airport are not affected by the tragedy.
Delta has pledged to cooperate with local authorities as an investigation is launched to determine what went wrong.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement Tuesday morning confirming the tragedy and offering his condolences to the families of those involved.
He said: ‘I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees.
My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their speedy and full recovery. AFRD, APD and HJAIA teams are on the scene and working diligently to address the situation.
Delta Air Lines said in a statement: “The Delta family is heartbroken by the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Technical Operations Maintenance facility in Atlanta.”
The tragedy occurred just months after a Delta plane departing from the same airport lost its noseband while attempting to take off.
The Boeing 757 was scheduled to depart from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta to Bogota, Colombia in January, but was delayed due to the incident.
According to the FAA, the nose gear detached and rolled down a hill while the aircraft was lining up and waiting to take off.
Delta TechOps is responsible for the maintenance of all of the airline’s aircraft and Atlanta serves as the global headquarters
